Whether advocating for humanitarian issues, providing support to the marginalised, holding governments to account or preserving the natural environment, Caribbean civil society groups play a vital role in the region. But they are also facing serious constraints which limit their impact. A new digital platform is hoping to address some of those obstacles by bringing Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) together to network, collaborate and learn.
Online community
The Caribbean Civil Society SDGs Knowledge Platform was developed by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute (CANARI) to assist regional CSOs who are contributing to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Visitors to the site can browse case studies and news stories of work being done in each area, as well as sharing their own experiences. The platform supports a range of media including documents, videos and photos. Aside from providing a valuable database to track CSO progress, it’s also a digital forum where groups can network, view a calendar of SDG-related events and get word of funding opportunities. Although aimed at CSOs, the platform is designed for everyone with an interest in the sector including governments, development agencies and regional institutions.
Trinidad and Tobago-based CANARI developed the platform as part of the CSOs for Good Governance project, which is supported by the European Union. CANARI Technical Officer Candice Ramkissoon explains: “CSOs have three key roles: as implementors, advocates and watchdogs. They are doing the work on the ground, delivering results on many of the SDGs. The Knowledge Platform is for CSOs to showcase what they are doing, and also to show where the gaps are and how others could be engaging them better. We are hoping to highlight their contributions. “Civil society is taking the lead in many areas. That is the message we want to send.”
The third sector
CANARI has been working with the third sector for around three decades, instigating projects with community organisations and national and regional non-governmental groups to provide training and other resources. The Institute believes supporting these groups is vital for the region’s future and wants to mobilise them to realise their full potential. The CSOs for Good Governance project kicked off in 2017, with a budget of Euros 340,000 from the EU and Euros 100,000 from other partners, but work on the platform began in earnest in 2018 and had direct input from CSOs so they could deliver a tool that would meet the needs of the sector. “The platform was built around a network of 23 CSOs working together. It was very much a process of conceptualising what it would be and what it would do. This is a space for them. It is very much by CSOs, for CSOs,” says Ramkissoon. “There are a plethora of CSOs in the wider Caribbean and we are hoping to target them, to enhance their participation in governance and development processes. Sometimes CSOs do not recognise that what they are doing is already delivering results and they need that opportunity to show what they are doing and help others understand their role.”
The collaborative aspect is one of the platform’s biggest selling points, according to Ramkissoon who hopes that CSOs will build connections through the site and perhaps inspire each other to achieve more. “There are opportunities for capacity building and networking,” she says. “CSOs can collaborate with other CSOs and development partners. We are creating that community.”
A call to connect
The platform launched in May and is now issuing a call for content to encourage more CSOs to get involved. Although originally conceived and developed in Trinidad and Tobago, CANARI wants all Caribbean CSOs to use and contribute to the site. While still in the early stages, Ramkissoon says interest has been high. “CSOs and even non-CSOs have been very excited about being able to contribute. We are operating from Trinidad but we have seen interest from CSOs throughout
the region.”
CANARI is looking for CSOs to send in content relating to their activities. This can include blog posts, opinion pieces, case studies and/or news. Submissions will be reviewed by the CANARI team before being uploaded onto the site. Ramkissoon urges all stakeholders to get involved, saying: “It is an opportunity for a wider Caribbean audience and beyond to see what you are doing and what your organisation is contributing. This is a global initiative and it is giving the Caribbean a space to share. It is giving a voice and visibility to your work.”
As the platform expands and provides the often overlooked third sector with a resource and a presence, CANARI is hoping it will transform the niche and further deliver on the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. Ramkissoon says: “We want to scale up and scale out. There will be exciting things coming. The work has not even begun.”
To view the platform, and get involved, visit hub.canari.org/sdg
